Question about the physiology of adaptation and bicep tendon tears in the deadlift

[obelix]

My question is, basically, how does a muscle ever become stronger than its own attachments, to the point that a conscious effort can tear them?

This is inspired by the problems some people get in the supine side bicep tendon during mixed grip deadlifts. I'm thinking, if the muscle is being trained, then inevitably so are the attachments and the whole system should adapt. If the muscle is not being trained, it shouldn't be capable of sufficient force production to tear the tendon.

And yet, apparently, some people end up with a biceps that's capable of producing force on the order of a deadlift, without commensurately adapted tendons. How?

[Mark Rippetoe]

In no particular order, some people have shittier connective tissues than other people. Some tissues respond to stress at different rates than other tissues. Some people do not adequately prepare the supine-side grip, i.e. they don't train it as often as they train the pull, e.g. use of straps, alternation of prone/supine hands during work sets. Some people take steroids, which differentially affect tissues. Some people aren't very good at keeping their supinated elbow straight. Some people are older than other people, and connective tissue composition/quality changes with age. So, it's more complicated a situation than your question implies. It's very seldom the bicep's force production capacity that avulses/ruptures the tendon.

[Agilic]

Coach, would it then be your recommendation to always keep the supinated hand the same when using mixed grip?

[Mark Rippetoe]

If the only training the supine side gets is deadlift work sets -- and this should be the case -- then I'd say that all 5 reps should be supine, for both conditioning the supinators and practicing a movement which almost always causes some degree of rotation away from the supine side.

[Agilic]

Thanks for the reply. Say someone deadlifts once per week. Would you recommend alternating which hand gets supinated on the workset week to week, or pick either the right or left hand and stick with that every time? I believe the answer is the latter based on what I'm deducing from your comments so far. Thanks again for your time.

[Mark Rippetoe]

How do you plan to compete? Do that in training.

[Agilic]

I don't compete. I am curious from the standpoint of whether doing it one way or the other leaves one less susceptible to injury.

[Dave Wilson]

Wouldnt using a hook grip minimize the risk of a bicep tear?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I don't compete. I am curious from the standpoint of whether doing it one way or the other leaves one less susceptible to injury.

If you don't compete, you don't do heavy singles, so it doesn't matter.

Wouldnt using a hook grip minimize the risk of a bicep tear?

Yes, it would.

[Agilic]

So the difference between alternating supinated hand each week training the deadlift or keeping it the same is likely nitpicky enough to not worry about it unless one competes regularly and attempts 1RM's? That's meant as a legitimate question, not to sound smart. Your input is greatly valued Coach.